Cardboard boxes containing heavy loads are moved about a warehouse with a two-wheeler or with a forklift or by being placed on a pallet and then moved by forklift. Extreme care is needed so that the chisel element of the two-wheeler or of the forklift does not puncture the cardboard box.
Sometimes, powders or liquids are contained within a bag inside the box or other flowable substances are contained therein so that if the box tips, the cover will likely come off or open and the contents spill. A need exists for apparatus which will both protect the bottom of such containers and also secure the covers.
Metal banding for boxes is known. Wooden pallets are known. Additionally, concepts such as the cargo binder of U.S. Pat. No. 2,687,321 are used. The binder has a plurality of flexible legs held together by a variety of straps to bind several bagged items.
Also, slings such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,439 are known. The sling includes a load supporting bottom connected to straps which each support a plurality of boxes on two sides adjacent a corner of the stacked boxes. The sling is engaged at the top to lift the load.
The art, however, does not teach a simple buffering mechanism for the bottom of a container, and which is securely banded to the cover of the container to create a single unit which can be easily moved both intra-warehouse and extra-warehouse.